The yen climbed to an eight-week top versus the U.S. dollar on Thursday after a Bank of Japan policy board member advocated continued interest-rate hikes. The dollar hovered near the lowest level since the start of last week against a basket of peers that includes the yen,

A wild week in the currency markets has left hedge funds heading for the exits on their dollar trades and turning their attention toward the Japanese yen.

The U.S. dollar slumped to an eight-week trough to the yen and lingered near a one-month low versus sterling on Thursday, as investor nerves about an inflation-stoking global trade war abated.